All I Want For Christmas Is You
by Advance4ever
Summary: It's Christmas time and Ash, May, Brock, and Max are spending it together in Petalburg City, but not even the holidays can go smoothly from the looks of it. Team Rocket are still with their crazy antics and feelings between May and Ash are revealed as Christmas draws near. Can Ash and his friends make it through the holiday in one piece? Christmas One-Shot.


**Everyone is in their AG attire, but there is no specific point where this occurred. It is up to you to decide when this takes place, it could be during the AG series or even after the DP or BW series, enjoy!**

Ash, Brock, Pikachu, May, and Max were wandering the Petalburg Mall aimlessly; it was large and filled with all kinds of stores that fascinated shoppers. Max ran from one store window to another, admiring the things that were on display with special offers, everything was on sale, from Pokeballs to Gadgets.

"Christmas here is really serious, huh Brock," Ash looked around, seeing people dressed in elf and Santa costumes, people ringing bells and yelling "Merry Christmas!" and shoppers lined up to buy as much as they could. There were even inflatable displays of snowmen, Santa Claus, and toys.

"Petalburg City is a commercial center for these types of holidays; it's not like in Pallet Town or Littleroot Town," Brock pointed out.

May's attention became caught by the wonderful Christmas music playing throughout the mall; it was one of her favorites. _All I want for Christmas is you…you baby_, May rang the song in her head and hummed to it, her gaze then happened to turn to Ash as she hummed the song.

Pikachu and the two teens noticed and looked at her oddly. "What's wrong May?" Ash raised an eyebrow, realizing that the girl had been staring at him.

"Oh, nothing, sorry about that," May hid her face to hide the tint of red that colored her face.

Brock began to speak, "May, we can't thank you enough for letting us spend Christmas at your house this year."

The sapphire-eyed girl smiled at him, "It's no problem Brock, my parents traveled this year so they put Max and me in charge of the house while they went off. They apologized about not being able to spend Christmas with us this year, so they said I should invite you and Ash since you're like family to us."

"It was really nice of your parents to let us come over, right Pikachu," Ash turned to his pal.

"Pika!" the mouse agreed about how fun Christmas was going to be this year.

"You know, this is our first Christmas together without having to worry about getting ribbons or badges, we're just here to celebrate with you guys! So, I was thinking that we should celebrate Christmas like we're supposed to, let's buy gifts for each other," Brock pointed out to the younger teenagers. The oldest of the group remembered that he and Ash were always traveling, so they couldn't really settle down to celebrate Christmas, but now they were on a break and it would be great to take advantage of the carefree time they had.

Before Ash or May could answer though, Max popped up. "Brock, look at this!" Max called for the oldest of the kids and pulled him toward a store like a little kid. Brock sighed; _this is what I get for being the oldest_.

Ash, May, and Pikachu all smiled at Brock sheepishly, not bothering to save him from Max's blabbering about the things on sale. The trio kept walking and looked around the mall as Jingle Bell Rock played.

"So Ash, is there anything that you would like that you've seen so far," May admired the stores, but not in the same eccentric way as her brother.

Ash placed his hands behind his head and formed an embarrassed look, "Not really, after so many years without celebrating Christmas traditionally, I stopped worrying about presents and relaxing by a warm fire, this is going to be my first year in a while that I actually get to do that though."

_How is Ash able to live the year without enjoying the best time of the year? _May wondered and let out a sigh. _I guess gym battles and Pokémon come before anything, love, gifts, and even Christmas. _The brunette raised her head and formed a confident grin, _this year I'll teach Ash how to enjoy Christmas_!

"What about you May, have you seen anything that you might like?" Ash asked the brunette, feeling a little nervous when he asked her, for some reason. _Maybe it's Christmas or maybe the snow, _Ash thought about the sensation he couldn't explain.

May was about to answer, but her eyes glistened and she ran to the window of a store. She clasped her hands together while her eyes sparkled, "This dress…" May answered Ash's question about what she would like.

It was a beautiful sapphire-colored dress. It had an interesting design; it was like one of those dresses Ash had seen at a fashion show before. There were blue gems on the cloth that made the dress shine even more; it was basically Cinderella's dress, except a bit slimmer.

"I could use a dress like this for my contests," May kept gazing at the dress with interest.

Ash began to picture May in the dress and realized how beautiful she'd look. She would look like a princess from a fairytale; the dress would match her perfect sapphire eyes and show the majestic side of her. When the raven-haired teen realized what he was thinking about, he blushed and hid his eyes under his hat, _what am I thinking; I'm not up for this stuff_.

The boy saw that Pikachu had been staring at him and the mouse snickered, knowing what Ash was thinking about. Ash gave his friend a guilty look, but responded, "Don't act like you've never felt something for someone." Pikachu apologized and assured his friend that was normal for feel like that towards someone else, which only left the auburn-eyed teen confused.

May's admiration for the dress halted when she read the price tag. The former price was $1000, but the price was cut in half, still that was still too expensive, she could never afford it. "It's too pricy," the brunette hung her head in disappointment and walked away, back to Ash.

"You ok May?" the auburn-eyed teen held her shoulder and asked with a caring voice. The boy became a little sad and sympathetic toward May, when he saw the sad look on her face after reading the price tag.

May looked up at him and admired his tender, auburn eyes. Ash's eyes gave her a warm feeling inside, she felt lost in them as she stared. "May?" the boy asked with a concern look.

The brunette got her senses back and shrugged the feeling off, "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you Ash."

"I'm sorry you can't afford the dress," Ash apologized, even though he wasn't responsible for how much expensive the dress was.

May smiled and assured him, "It's just a dress. I can always find a better one for a cheaper price."

Ash let go of her shoulder and smiled. The trio saw Brock and Max run up. "Sorry about that, but Max wanted to show me some stuff." Brock apologized for his abrupt departure from earlier.

"You guys should have seen it; Brock and I went inside and saw the best things ever. I loved it!" Max spoke about the things he saw with an enthusiastic voice.

Ash and Pikachu grinned at Max's enthusiastic attitude; someone was clearly in a Christmas spirit. May sighed as her brother blabbed on about what he saw, she knew he was a kid and all, but would they ever hear the end of it.

When Max finished everyone, Brock spoke, "So, as I was saying earlier. Christmas is just two days away and I think that we should buy each other presents, so we can get more into the Christmas spirit."

"Sure Brock," Ash nodded in agreement.

"I like the sound of that," May also agreed with the oldest member of the gang.

Max pushed his glasses back and spoke, "Well, if we're gonna do that, then we should probably start now because the good stuff will probably be gone by tomorrow." After Max finished, the other four members of the group looked around and saw how rushed shoppers were; they went from store to store, exiting with bags each time.

"Max has a point, I think now seems like a better time than any other," May agreed with her brother, despite Christmas shopping being done last minute.

"Then let's split up, we'll probably get our shopping done faster if we do it separately," Brock suggested they all nodded, except for Ash.

Brock and Max quickly dispersed and when May was about to, Ash called her "May…"

The brunette turned around and looked at the boy, "Yeah Ash?"

"I've never done this before and I don't wanna mess it up by buying gifts that Brock or Max might not even like, ca…can you help me and Pikachu find something?" the auburn-eyed teen asked her again, the nervous feeling inside him coming back.

May looked at the boy sweetly and nodded, "Ok Ash, I'll help you."

The boy covered up the uneasy sensation with a smile. "Thank you May," Ash responded with a kid voice.

"You're welcome, now we have to hurry before everything becomes sold out, c'mon!" May grabbed Ash by the arm and pulled him, catching the boy by surprise. Pikachu almost lost his balance when the girl pulled her trainer from nowhere, but the mouse noticed that his friend didn't seem to mind. The blush on his friend's face made it all too obvious.

When they entered a store, May finally let go of Ash and the pair walked around the aisle in search of a gift for their friends. "Alright Ash, let's look for a gift that you can give to Brock. Why don't you think about the stuff Brock enjoys and tell me what you think he might like," May smiled the whole time she spoke and Ash began to think.

_Okay, what does Brock like? _Ash recalled the moments Brock flirted with any pretty girl and knew that that was one thing, but he wasn't sure what kind of gift could help him with that. _He also enjoys taking care of Pokémon, but is there anything here that could help him with breeding or treating Pokémon? The other thing Brock enjoys is cooking, cooking_! Ash realized that he was on to something, there were plenty of things that he could buy that may assist Brock in some way when it came to cooking.

"I know Brock likes to cook, maybe we can find him something that has to do with cooking," Ash told May about the idea he had.

"Great, let's go to the aisle where they have all things cooking!" May cheered.

They walked over to the aisle where they sold items that are used for cooking. There were so many things to choose from, but Ash wasn't sure what to pick, he didn't want to buy something Brock didn't need either. "Any idea on what you can get him Ash?" May questioned her friend, noticing the clueless look on his face.

Ash let out a deep breath and looked at her helplessly, "No, there's too much to choose from, I don't want to buy something Brock might not find use for."

May decided to give Ash a hand, "You know, Brock complains about how he could use something to carry all his cooking equipment more easily without having to force it inside or dealing with the heavy weight."

The auburn-eyed teen thought about what May said and turned to Pikachu for a little more help, "Any ideas bud?"

"Pi," Pikachu shook his head sideways.

_Maybe some sort of bag that could stuff all of Brock's cooking stuff easily and make it comfortable for him, a backpack? _Ash wondered and looked up to see a part of the aisle with bags that promised room for all cooking equipment.

"What if I buy him one of these," Ash suggested to May and looked at the products.

"That's a great idea," May smiled, Ash was finally getting the hand of this Christmas shopping.

Ash picked one for Brock's size and looked inside. The bag was perfect; it had pockets and sections where pots, utensils, and plates could be placed. It even had some straps on that could help avoid any back or shoulder pain. The bag was at an affordable price as well. "This one," Ash showed the product to May.

"That's perfect Ash, let's go to the counter and pay for it!" May was clearly glad that Ash found a gift for Brock.

Pikachu was just as happy about it as well, plus he was even happier that May managed to help him, but now they had to search for Max's gift. They exited the store and May spoke, "Ready to find Max's gift?"

Ash shook his head, "Yeah, I think I know what to get him."

May shifted her head a little, "What would that be?"

"This," Ash ran in front of her with Pikachu.

"Hey wait, Ash you know I am not a runner!" May ran behind him, frowning, but the boy obviously didn't hear him. _This is the thanks I get for helping him_, May sighed and kept running.

Ash finally stopped running and stood in front of a store with a display of uniquely designed Pokeballs. May caught up to get and asked, "What are you getting Max?"

"One of these," Ash pointed at the Pokeballs.

May gazed at all the Pokeballs with designs she was not familiar with. They all seemed to be one of a kind, "How do you Max will want a Pokeball?" May tested to see how Ash decided that he would buy a Pokeball for the boy.

"Well, he's going to start his journey pretty soon and I know he loves meeting new Pokémon. I figured that when he starts his adventure, he could use one of these Pokeballs to catch a Pokémon he likes," Ash informed the girl, using the guidelines May stated to him earlier, find out what the person likes and then find something that could be used regarding that activity.

May smiled and admired Ash's consideration for her little brother, she thought the boy knew Max better than her. "That was good thinking Ash, which Pokeball are you getting him?" the brunette complimented and then inquired him.

"Hmmmm…" the boy thought about what May said and looked at each Pokéball. Then he saw a Pokeball with a design that resembled space. It had a dark background painted on and stars were also drawn into it. Among all the stars though, was a design of Jirachi. The Wish Pokémon wandered among the stars with a happy look, it was clearly the right Pokéball for Max.

"That one," Ash pointed at the Pokéball and went inside.

May approached the window and saw the one Ash pointed at, it was a Pokéball with a space design on it and it had a Jirachi at the center of the design. _I can see why Ash would pick that Pokéball,_ May smiled again.

A distance away from the group was a trio staring at them. The three dressed in elf costumes and rang bells while yelling "Merry Christmas!" as people passed by. The shortest elf was the first to notice and pulled the other two down.

"Look, it's the twerp girl!" Meowth whispered to his partners.

"Huh?" Jessie and James turned to May's direction and spotted the brunette. Then they spotted Ash and Pikachu exiting the store.

"And she's with the twerp and Pikachu," James smiled gleefully.

"This is perfect, who knew we'd run into the twerps at a time like this!" Jessie cheered joyfully.

Jessie and James began dancing and repeating, "We're getting Pikachu for Christmas; we're getting Pikachu for Christmas!"

Meowth pulled them down by the ears and glared at them, "Will you be quiet. They can't know that we here, so we'll have ta be stealthy."

Jessie and James nodded in agreement, still thinking about what would if they caught Pikachu. It'd be perfect and just in time for Christmas; they'd give it as a present to the boss and in return receive gifts from Giovanni himself. The trio snickered mischievously as they prepared their scheme.

"Ash, did you buy the Pokéball?" May asked him.

"Sure did, but now I have to get your present," Ash stated, barely being able to spit out the sentence.

May gazed at another direction so Ash wouldn't see her blush. She imagined the boy giving her jewelry, expensive clothing, or something like that, but shook it off; _I have to stop acting this way_, May sighed at her behavior. Just because she felt something for him and because it was Christmas time, doesn't mean that she should be imagining Ash as her boyfriend.

The brunette turned to Ash and asked him, "Do you know what you are going to get me?" May tried her hardest to prevent a blush appearing on her face.

Ash also tried to suppress his blush and answered her nervously, "No…ooo"

Before May could answer him though, three elves of different statures popped in their faces. "Merry Christmas Pikachu and lovely couple!" the woman in the elf costume greeted the trio.

Ash and May blushed intensely when the woman called them a couple, but before they could correct her, the man in the elf costume spoke, "What brings you to the mall, buying gifts for an anniversary or Christmas, or both!"

"We aren't a," May tried to correct them, but the shortest one interrupted this time.

"We can helpcha find the perfect gifts for this jolly season, your girlfriend will love it," the tiniest one winked at Ash.

Pikachu stared at the trio suspiciously; they were familiar for some reason. "But we're not a," Ash tried to point out, but the trio kept interrupting.

"Come on, we'll take you to the best store in the mall," the woman with red hair pushed the group, urging the trio to follow them to the store.

Ash and May had no choice, but to follow. They sighed; they had no choice, but to go. On the other hand, they thought there might be some wonderful gifts to buy there, so walked behind the elf trio.

They walked to a door that led them inside and saw that it was dark, but they could still see plenty of boxes lying around. The trio became a little suspicious about the area they were at.

"Hey, this isn't a store!" May yelled out, but the elf trio vanished.

Suddenly, Ash felt Pikachu being taken from his shoulder. "Pikapi!" the mouse exclaimed, causing the teens to worry.

"What gives, something's wrong here," Ash looked around aimlessly for his best friend. "Pikachu, where are you, pal?"

The duo saw lights shining on the three elves. They stood on top of a mountain of boxes with devious faces on. "Who are you guys, what do you?" May glared at them with Ash when they saw the elves holding Pikachu in a cage. The mouse tried to escape, but the cage absorbed its electric attacks.

"Prepare for trouble, you better not cry!" the female elf declared.

"Make it double, I'm telling you why!" the male elf announced.

"To protect the world from people who pout!" the female elf spoke again.

"To unite all peoples, so you better not flout!" the male elf talked again.

"To denounce all evils, by checking our list twice!" the red-haired elf informed.

"To extend our reach with a very high price!" the purple-haired elf mentioned.

"Jessie!" Jessie rid herself of the elf costume

"James!" James got rid of his elf costume

"Team Rocket, is blasting off at the speed of Santa's sleigh!" Jessie extended her arm outward while holding Pikachu.

"So surrender now or you'll have to pay!" James also extended his arm out.

"Meowth, that's right," Meowth also got rid of his costume and landed in front of the duo.

"Team Rocket, let go of Pikachu right now!" Ash spat at them.

"Can't you guys even take a break during the holidays?" May frowned at Team Rocket; _these guys don't even stop for Christmas_.

"Let us tink about it," Meowth spoke and then the trio stuck out their tongues at the teens.

"Then we'll have to settle with a battle!" Ash reached for a Pokéball while May followed his lead by reaching for her own Pokéball.

"Fine then, Seviper go!" Jessie summoned her snake Pokémon.

"Cacnea, you too!" James summoned his cactus-like Pokémon, but the spiky Grass-type held on to James. "Not me, go sting the twerps!" James pointed out while crying pain and the Hoenn Pokémon prepared to attack with Seviper.

"Sceptile, I need you!" Ash called out his lizard-like Pokémon.

"Blaziken, help out!" May released her aviary Pokémon.

Ash saw Team Rocket running away while they left Seviper and Cacnea to handle them. "May, you go after Team Rocket. Sceptile and I can handle these two," Ash instructed the brunette.

"Right, let's go Blaziken!" May followed Ash's instruction and began running after the trio with her starter.

Seviper noticed this and prepared to stop them with Poison Tail. Ash saw this and told Sceptile, "Stop Seviper with Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile quickly stopped Seviper, sending the snake flying and allowing May and Blaziken to continue going after Team Rocket. Ash and Sceptile stood in front of Seviper and Cacnea, the duos staring at each other intensely.

Cacnea used Pin Missile, but Sceptile easily countered it with Bullet Seed and took advantage of the smoke created by the collision to use Quick Attack on the small Pokémon. Cacnea flew back while Seviper leaped in to use Bite, but Sceptile used Agility to dodge the fast-moving snake.

"Scep," Sceptile grinned at his opponents arrogantly.

"This is going to be a piece of cake," Ash smiled confidently.

May chased the Rockets up the stairs, but she was clearly unable to catch up. "Blaziken, I need you to stop Team Rocket, you're much faster than so cover the door to the roof!"

"Blaziken!" the fire starter nodded and began jumping from wall to wall until it reached the door to the roof of the mall.

"Dat thing is fast!" Meowth noted as they ran up the stairs and saw Blaziken leaping from wall to wall.

The trio reached the door to the top of the building, but saw Blaziken guarding it. "Meowth, do something!" Jessie ordered the cat.

"On it, I eat chickens like you for dinner!" Meowth exclaimed and leaped towards Blaziken while using Fury Swipes.

Blaziken easily kicked Meowth to the side using Blaze Kick. "Blaz," the starter smirked slyly at the cat.

Jessie grunted, but James had a plan, "This might work!" The purple-haired Rocket threw a smoke pellet that made Blaziken cough and unable to see.

The duo got through the Hoenn Pokémon and went outside; Meowth also quickly got up and ran outside. May caught up with Blaziken and told the starter, "C'mon Blaziken, we have to stop them!"

Blaziken nodded and the two ran after Team Rocket the moment the smoke finally cleared. When they reached the top of the mall, they saw the Meowth balloon and the trio running towards it.

When the Rockets got in the balloon, May ordered Blaziken to use "Flamethrower!"

"Wobbuffet, Counter now!" Jessie commanded.

"Wobbuffet!" the obedient Psychic-type responded and began to glow a pink-orange color. Flamethrower flew back at Blaziken, which the starter managed to block just in time with another Flamethrower.

"This isn't good," May grinded her teeth while Team Rocket laughed.

"Jessie, I can't believe we're going to win this time!" James cheered with happiness.

"Santa actually listened to us this year!" Jessie yelled with a joyous tone.

Meowth cried tears of joy as well, but then they stopped Ash. "May!" the raven-haired teen called out and the brunette saw Ash with Sceptile.

"Great, the twerp is here; Cacnea and Seviper couldn't hold any longer," Jessie felt her dreams being ripped apart when she saw the boy.

"Ash, you made it!" May screamed in happiness when she the heroic teen.

Ash grinned at her and looked at Team Rocket, "These belong to you, by the way," Ash threw Seviper and Cacnea's Pokeballs at Jessie and James.

They caught their Pokémon, but James shouted, "Just because you gave us back our Pokémon, doesn't mean we'll return yours!"

"I wouldn't expect any less from you crooks, Sceptile use Bullet Seed!" Ash demanded.

"Ash, wait!" May told the boy, but it was too late.

Sceptile prepared to unleash a barrage of seeds, but Meowth took out a bazooka. "Here twerps, a present from us ta you!" the cat shot out a smoke grenade that hit Sceptile and sent the lizard flying back.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled out when it saw the shot, the mouse wasn't sure if the rockets could be stopped this time.

Smoke came out of the grenade, blinding and making Blaziken, Sceptile, and Ash cough. May managed to avoid the smoke in time and saw Team Rocket escaping in their balloon. "No you don't!" May ran up and jumped, grabbing onto the green part of the balloon where the trio stood with Pikachu.

The brunette climbed in and grabbed Pikachu's cage from Jessie. "Give that back!" May fought for Pikachu's cage with Jessie.

"You brat, give that! James, Wobbuffet, Meowth, help!" Jessie yelled as she struggled to keep the cage.

James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet tried to pull May back, but they were all clearly struggling. When Ash and the Pokémon could finally see, they saw May with the Rockets fighting for Pikachu in the sky, "May, get out of there now!" Ash called out to her, he wanted Pikachu back, but he worried about her security.

"Not until I get Pikachu!" May yelled back at him until she felt Meowth cover her mouth with his paw, but the brunette got him off by biting him.

"My hand!" Meowth cried in pain as it flew back against James and Wobbuffet, the bite clearly hurt the cat bad enough to send the Pokémon recoiling, knocking James and Wobbuffet out too.

"Meowth, James, Wobbuffet!" Jessie cried out when she saw that her teammates were down. May got the upper hand and took the cage from Jessie. The brunette jumped off the balloon with Pikachu in her arms.

Ash smiled slyly, knowing what to do next. "Sceptile, Blaziken, use Bullet Seed and Flamethrower!" The starters nodded and unleashed their attacks on the balloon, causing it to explode.

They all flew in the air with sad looks on their faces. "Guess who's getting coal this year," Meowth complained.

"I thought we could have celebrated with some gingerbread cookies!" James whined about their defeat.

"All we're getting this year is a blast off," Jessie mourned their loss.

"Wobbuffet!" the Psychic-type declared.

"Looks like Team Rocket, is blasting off again!" Team Rocket announced as they flew into the sky, causing a little sparkle in the night sky.

May was screaming in fear when she realized the jump she took to escape Team Rocket. "Why did I have to jump!" the brunette yelled in panic.

Ash ran up to where May was going to fall and caught the girl with Pikachu just in time. "Gotcha!" the auburn-eyed teen said when he caught May and Pikachu in his arms.

When May and Ash realized what was going on the two blushed. Ash and May's faces became red, May felt like a princess in his arms, she felt she had just been swept off her feet.

"Oh, sorry…" Ash gently let May get on her feet when he took note of the awkward scene. Blaziken and Sceptile chuckled when they saw the moment, they were obviously aware of the feelings their trainers had for each other.

Ash opened Pikachu's cage and the mouse leapt into his trainer's arms, "Pikapi!" the mouse exclaimed.

"Good to see you too pal," Ash smiled happily and embraced his best friend.

He looked at May, who was admiring the friendship between the two. He grinned at her, "Thank you May, you saved Pikachu, I don't know how to repay you," Ash thanked his sapphire-eyed friend.

"I'm just happy to help Ash," the brunette smiled back at him.

The trainers returned Blaziken and Sceptile, thanking them for their efforts to stop Team Rocket. "I guess we have to get to shopping huh?" the raven-haired teen asked May.

"Yep, you still have to get me, my present," May winked at him playfully.

Ash scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, "I still…don't really know what to get you."

May giggled, "Don't worry Ash, you figured out what to buy Brock and Max, I'm sure you can find the right gift. I have to go find gifts for Max, Brock, and you, see ya later." The brunette winked at him and went back inside the building, leaving Ash and Pikachu.

"It's not that easy though," Ash looked down at the ground with a sad look while Pikachu stared at him sympathetically. _I want to give May the best gift there is, she deserves it after everything she's done for me today and she is special…._the boy wondered in his head.

* * *

**Later…at May's house…**

"Rocking around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop, mistletoe hung where you can see," May sang to the song playing on the radio as she, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Max set up the Christmas tree and decorations.

Ash and May were wrapping the tinsel around the Christmas tree, but they almost bumped into each other while doing it, which they playfully laughed at. As May hung things on the Christmas tree she wondered, _I wonder if Ash bought me a present, I'm tempted to ask him, but I don't wanna pressure him or anything_. May sighed; she'll have to wait till Christmas Day.

Max and Pikachu placed the star at the top of the tree together, thanks to Brock, who picked Max up so he could place it with the mouse. The five stood in front of the tree and looked around the house; they all smiled and became relieved when they saw everything set.

"We did it guys, we got our presents and we setup the house just in time for Christmas, good job," Brock was happy that they managed to do everything in one day. They all nodded in agreement, but Ash shook his head in an uneasy fashion, which Brock took note of and became suspicious.

Max ran to the window and yelled, "Hey look, it's snowing, let's go outside and play!" the brother became excited.

May looked out the window and smiled, "Hey wait, Max. I wanna go play too, wait for me!" The girl ran behind her brother, both of them were going to get warm clothes for the cold weather outside.

Brock, Pikachu, and Ash decided to get their winter clothing as well. When they entered the room with their luggage, Brock spoke, "Ash, can I ask you something?"

Ash grinned at Brock and nodded, "Ask away, Brock."

"You didn't get all the gifts, did you," Brock told the boy with a calm voice.

The boy sighed, hoping Brock hadn't noticed. Ash looked at Brock with a helpless gaze, "I couldn't find anything for May, back at the mall after we were attacked by Team Rocket, May went off and I became lost, I didn't know what to get her because May is a girl and I never had to give a gift to a girl before, I never had to give Dawn and Misty, gifts. There's also one more though, there's this feeling inside that keeps telling me that I should make May's gift special in some way."

Brock smiled and chuckled, "I don't it has to do much with May being a girl or that you never had to get a girl a gift on Christmas, I think it's more about the fact that you want May's gift to be something unique, do you know why, Ash?"

Pikachu got in close to hear this one, even the mouse knew why. Ash stared at Brock with a puzzled look and shook his head sideways.

"Because you like May, there's no use in hiding it anymore Ash, your feelings for May have developed into something that you don't fully understand right now, but you like her," Brock explained the feeling to Ash.

Ash blushed when Brock told him that he liked May, his old friend had never been more right. The boy liked May, wait no, he loved May.

Brock and Pikachu chuckled as they Ash's face turn red, he was obviously thinking of May. "Something I have to tell you though, is that you will have to tell her at some point, but for now worry about getting May a gift, get something she will really like." Brock gave Ash a piece of advice and gave the boy his signature smile.

Ash remembered the dress from earlier, "There's one thing May might like, when you were with Max, she was gazing at this sapphire dress and clearly wanted it for her contest, but it was too expensive, it cost $500. I would really like to get her that, but I just don't have any money."

Brock placed his fingers on his chin and then snapped them, "You know, while I was shopping for the gifts, I saw this event being held somewhere in the mall where two participants competed for money with a Pokémon battle. The rules were simple, if you win you get money and the money is enough to buy that dress you're talking about."

Ash's face brightened when Brock told him about the match being held at the mall. He made a fist and a confident smile danced across his face, "I just found out what I am going to do tomorrow, thanks Brock!"

The oldest of the group flashed a smile at his friend, "I'm always glad to help, Ash, if you need something just talk to me. Now come on, Max and May probably want to go outside," Brock let the boy know and the two flashed smiles at each other, that sibling-like relationship the two had was as deep as any other sibling relationship. The two put on winter clothing for the snow and went outside with their friends.

Pikachu was the only who seemed to be freezing outside, his warm fur wouldn't warm him this time, but the mouse made the best out of it and built a snowman with Max. Brock, May, and Ash were throwing snowballs at each other, they were all clearly having fun.

Max and Pikachu dodged as many snowballs as they could while building the snowman. "Hey May, watch where you throw, your aiming is terrible!" Max taunted his sister.

"If you keep bothering me about my aiming then I'll actually hit you with a snowball," the brunette threatened, but Max assured her that there'd be no need for that.

May smiled proudly, but her victorious moment ended when Ash threw a snowball at her. The brunette shrugged off the snow on her red jacket and glared at Ash, "You're going to get Ash!"

"Brock run, May's going all-out this time," Ash ran, dodging as many snowballs as possible while Brock laughed at the two younger teens' antics.

As Ash and May ran around, May's temper vanished and threw snowballs at Ash for the fun of it. Ash threw some back at her and the whole night passed by with the five friends playing in the snow.

* * *

**The following morning…**

Ash woke up and saw Pikachu still sleeping. The raven-haired boy quietly got up and dressed for today. He left Pikachu sleeping the room and passed by a snoozing Brock in the living room. The auburn-eyed teen left May's house and walked around the snowy streets of Petalburg until he reached the mall.

It wasn't hard to find where the match was being held, but the boy remembered why he was participating in this battle, he was doing it for May. Ash walked over to the counter to sign-up where he a man with a funny moustache greeted him.

"You here to sign-up kid?" the man asked.

"Sure am," Ash answered the man with a confident look.

"Right then, let me sign you up," the man stated and obtained all of Ash's information so the trainer became qualified for the match. "Please go past the door behind me, that will lead you to the battlefield," the man told Ash.

Ash nodded and exited the room where the entry was. He entered through the door and found himself on the battlefield. He became surprised to see an eager crowd cheering for him; they were clearly ready to watch a great battle.

On the other side was a brawny fellow with a haircut similar to Drake of the Orange League and he was tanner. "Bout time I got an opponent, glad to see you that you made it," the man told the boy with a cocky smirk.

"Ready when you are," Ash remarked while looking at the man, confidence blazed in the teen's eyes.

"I'll enjoy crushing you little man," the muscular figure laughed arrogantly.

"Ladies and gents thank you for managing to stop your last Christmas shopping to watch the annual Petalburg Mall Matches! You should all know that the prize is $500, which can be used to buy anything available in the mall! Today, we have Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town vs. Edgar from Evergrande City," the announcer was a middle-aged man, who was clearly as eager as the crowd to commence this battle.

"Both have competed in the Hoenn League at least once and both have gotten into the Top 8, a remarkable feat, so please welcome the two trainers and let the battle commence!" the host declared, everyone applauded with high energy. The audience was clearly anticipating a great battle from such high achievers.

"Aggron, I choose you," Edgar summoned a massive Steel-type Pokémon onto the stage.

"Aggggron!" the Hoenn Pokémon cried out.

Ash smiled cunningly, "So, he wants to play like that huh? Fine, Sceptile, you're up!" the auburn-eyed teen released his loyal Grass-type.

Edgar grinned slyly, "Just because you have a Grass-type, doesn't mean that you'll win." The trainer recognized the power of Grass-types, especially when it came to Pokémon like Sceptile.

"I wouldn't expect any less from someone who got into the Top 8 in the Hoenn League," Ash beamed a smile at his opponent.

"Aggron, use Ice Beam!" Edgar commanded.

"Sceptile, use Agility to dodge!" Ash countered Edgar's command.

Edgar grinned, "Freeze Sceptile's trail," the competitor ordered.

Aggron tried to hit Sceptile at first, but the lizard quickly dodged it, but Aggron began using Ice Beam wherever Sceptile ran. Edgar hoped that the icy field would cause Sceptile to slip and he could take advantage, but it wasn't going to be that easy.

Edgar became shocked when he saw that Sceptile was capable enough to maintain its balance while running on ice. "Sceptile, now use Leaf Blade!" Ash commanded and the starter prepared for its next move.

"Use Iron Defense, Aggron!" Edgar demanded.

Sceptile hit Aggron, but it didn't cause as much damage as it normally would. "Now, grab it and use Ice Beam!" Edgar made a fist.

Ash grinded his teeth, "Fight back with Bullet Seed!" Sceptile canceled out Ice Beam with Bullet Seed, but the explosion caused by the high-powered attacks sent both powerhouses flying backwards.

They both gained composure and Edgar wasted no time in making his next move, "Fight back with Fire Blast!"

"Sceptile, use Agility!" Ash commanded, but was stopped by another command made by Edgar.

"Stop Sceptile, with Metal Sound," Aggron's trainer countered perfectly.

The screeching sound in Sceptile's ears made it cry in pain and was unable to use Agility, allowing the Fire Blast to hit him head on. "Sceptile!" Ash yelled, realizing that the attack was super effective.

When the fire around Sceptile faded, the Forest Pokémon dropped to his knees while groaning in pain because of the scorch marks. Edgar beamed an arrogant smile, "I have you now. Finish this with Ice Beam!"

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade as a shield!" Ash cried out and the lizard Pokémon held off Ice Beam with its blade.

Edgar laughed as Sceptile struggled to hold back Aggron's Ice Beam, Sceptile's blade slowly began freezing and couldn't shield against the ice attack forever. Ash and Sceptile continued grinding their teeth as the crowd watched intensely.

_I can't lose, I have to get that dress for May_, Ash thought to himself. _But how can I win against someone with such an advantage, there has to be a way to get through that Ice Beam, Sceptile can't hold on for much longer. _Ash wondered to himself, he just couldn't risk losing; he was battling for May, for something the brunette would enjoy as a gift, for something Ash would feel good about.

An idea struck the boy at that moment, "Sceptile, try to charge up a Solarbeam while still defending yourself with Leaf Blade. Sceptile nodded, that was going to be difficult, but the lizard couldn't let his friend down. Sweat dripped from the lizard as it charged up its attack while its blade began to freeze.

"Aggron, power it up," Edgar smiled cunningly.

Aggron added more power to Ice Beam and Sceptile's blade began freezing faster. "Sceptile, roll sideways and use Solarbeam!" Ash commanded.

Sceptile rolled to the side, dodging Ice Beam just in time and used Solarbeam. The stream of energy shot out so quick that Aggron and Edgar were unable to react in time. Solarbeam sent Aggron flying against the wall, taking a critical hit.

The Steel-type struggled to get up, but roared when it did. Edgar grinded his teeth, "Fight back with a Fire Blast!"

"Sceptile, dodge with Agility!" Ash countered Fire Blast.

"Use Metal Sound to stop Sceptile," Edgar ordered, but Ash had other plans.

"Don't let Aggron use Metal Sound, speed it up with a Quick Blade!" Ash instructed the lizard Pokémon, confusing Edgar with the unknown command.

Sceptile's Agility picked up more speed from Quick Attack and used its other blade to hit Aggron. The Iron Armor Pokémon was struck down by Sceptile's full-powered blade and Aggron's eyes became swirled, indicating that it was unable to battle.

Ash's Sceptile dropped down proudly after using the combination of Quick Attack and Leaf Blade. The announcer raised his flag and declared, "Aggron is unable to battle, therefore, the winner of the match is Ash Ketchum!"

Edgar returned his Pokémon and smirked at Ash, "Not bad for a youngster." The man walked away after that.

The announcer approached Ash and handed him a stack of bills, "Here's your $500 Ash, spend it wisely," the host winked at him.

Ash nodded at the man and thanked the crowd that applauded him. Ash approached Sceptile, "You did great out there Sceptile, you never fail to amaze the crowd, good job," the auburn-eyed teen returned the smirking lizard Pokémon to its Pokeball.

Ash wasted in time in rushing to the store to buy May's dress after that. He ran past every store until he reached the one he stopped by with May, yesterday. The dress was not on display today, but Ash figured the owner brought the dress inside.

He went inside and a bell rang. The store owner was an old man with a long white beard and pretty fat, but he greeted Ash happily, "Ho ho ho, how can I help you?" the man was clearly teasing Santa Claus's most popular phrase.

"Hi there, I'd like to buy the sapphire dress you had on display," Ash told the man in a red and blue uniform.

The store owner put on a sad look, "I'm sorry, but someone already bought that dress."

Ash felt his hopes of buying May the dress shatter like glass. He frowned at the man, "Don't you have another sapphire dress? That couldn't be the last one."

"I'm sorry, but it was," the chubby owner told him.

Ash sighed and looked at the owner, "Well, thanks anyway…"

The store owner made a half-smile, but was clearly sad when he saw how disappointed the youth looked. Ash walked away from the counter and walked to the exit while murmuring, "What am I going to buy May now?"

He looked up to open the glass door, but something caught his attention. On the reflection of the door he saw a set of bandanas that came in all different colors. Ash turned around and saw a collection of various bandanas at the end of the store.

Suddenly, a thought sparked in his head. _Cool, a collection of bandanas, I wonder if May will like that since she tends to wear them very often_, Ash pondered in his mind. He walked over to the bandanas and saw a green one, a white one, a blue one, a yellow one, the list goes on, but there were twelve bandanas in total. Ash picked up the collection and pictured May with each one. When he did that he couldn't help, but blush because in his mind May looked adorable with each one. He walked over to the man, who became surprised when he saw that Ash was still see him here.

"I'd like to buy this," Ash smiled at him and handed him the set of bandanas kept in a box.

"A nice choice, it is made of fine cloth. Would you like me to gift wrap it for you?" the store owner grinned at him.

"Yes, please," Ash responded, wondering if he was making the right choice by buying the collection of bandanas.

* * *

**Later that day…**

Ash walked toward May's door while hiding the gift under his hoodie. When he entered the house everyone looked surprised at him, except for Brock and Pikachu. "Ash, where did you go, Brock and Pikachu knew you went out somewhere, but he wouldn't tell us where," Max went to salute his friend.

"Max and I were starting to worry about you, you don't usually go off disappearing like that," May showed some concern in her eyes.

Ash smiled at his two friends, "I just had some last minute errands to run, but they're done now."

"Well, ok," May let out a deep breath, relieved that Ash had finally returned.

Ash excused himself and went to the room where he slept. He took the gifts out of his hoodie and admired May's gift. All of a sudden, Brock and Pikachu appeared behind him. The mouse climbed onto Ash's shoulder and grinned at him.

"Congrats Ash, guess you got May's gift?" Brock asked the raven-haired teen.

"I did, but I couldn't get the dress because they sold out," Ash gave Brock a dismayed look for a second, his face brightened again when he Brock, "I did get something else she might like though. I hope May likes it."

"I'm sure she will Ash, because I know whatever you picked was the right choice, May will love it, despite not being a fancy contest dress," Brock assured Ash about May's reaction to the gift Ash bought.

"Thanks Brock," Ash was once again assured by his spiky-haired friend.

The auburn-eyed teen's attention turned to Pikachu though, "Pikachu, I'm sorry I didn't take you with me this morning, but I did not want to wake up."

"Pika pikachu," the mouse told the boy that it didn't matter, what mattered was that Ash bought May a gift.

Ash was happy that things worked out fine so far and went with Pikachu and Brock to the living room, where they found the siblings sitting there with bored expressions on their faces.

"How come you two look so down?" Brock asked the duo.

At that moment, May and Max's stomachs grumbled loudly. "Does that answer your question," May looked at the former gym leader.

Ash's stomach began grumbling as well and the boy laughed nervously. Brock chuckled, "Don't worry guys; I'll cook something up right now."

It took Brock a couple of hours to cook something that could fill the three younger kids, which resulted in the trio eating crackers from a can. Brock finally came out the kitchen with some grease and condiments on him, "Well you three, food's ready. I also prepared something for you Pikachu, just in case," Brock informed the group of four.

Max threw the cracker he was about to eat back into the can and spoke, "It was about time, I felt like I was going to die."

May and Ash on the other hand, wasted no time in rushing to the kitchen. Pikachu, Max, and Brock gazed at the duo. Ash and May showed no table manners when they sat down and started taking as much beef, potatoes, salad, and rice from the bowls Brock had placed.

Brock laughed uneasily, "Typical Ash," the spiky-haired teen knew that Ash's eating habits would never change.

"And that's my sister," Max also knew that May's eating habits would never change either.

"Pika…" Pikachu became astonished by the quantity of food the two ate, that was one thing the pair certainly had in common.

Pikachu got his plate of food while Max and Brock struggled to get food from the bowls since Ash and May kept going at it. Thankfully, the oldest and youngest of the group managed to get enough food to fill themselves up before the other two finished all food.

Brock read the time and realized how much time had flown, it was already 10 pm. "Uhhh guys, I think it's time we went to sleep, time flew by surprisingly fast and tomorrow's Christmas, so it's best if we sleep now to have enough energy for tomorrow."

Ash and May patted their bellies with satisfied smiles. "I agree, after eating so much, I could really sleep," May felt her eyes get a little heavy.

"I agree too, I'm tired from today, besides we need energy for tomorrow like Brock said," Ash continued patting his stomach.

"Then let's get to sleep," Max also agreed with his two friends and they all prepared for a good night.

Ash was the last one to get into bed, but he couldn't stop thinking about May's gift after eating. All the battling, shopping, thinking, and eating took a toll on the boy's body and he fell asleep the moment he dropped on the bed next to Pikachu.

That night, the raven-haired teen began dreaming. _"Open it May," Ash encouraged the brunette to open her gift. _

_ At first the girl had a bright smile on her face, but when she saw gift, tears streamed down her face. "Ash, this isn't what I wanted," May showed Ash the gift. _

_ Ash hid his eyes under the brim of his hat and spoke, "I'm sorry, I couldn't get you the dress. There wasn't any way I could get it." _

_ "Sorry won't fix it Ash; I thought you knew what I wanted!" May broke into tears and threw the gift onto Ash's lap. _

_ The brunette left her house and slammed the door, leaving a broken-hearted Ash lying under the Christmas tree, tears traveling down his cheeks. _

Ash sprang up and let out a sigh of relief when he found out that it was just a dream. The boy wiped off any sweat he had on him and went back to sleep, "What a nightmare," Ash felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine when he recalled it before going back to sleep.

That morning, everyone woke up to Brock's sweet-smelling hot chocolate. "It's Christmas, it's Christmas!" Max ran down the stairs with a cheery voice.

"Merry Christmas Max," Brock greeted the boy in green pajamas.

"Merry Christmas Brock," Max happily received Brock's beverage.

Ash, Pikachu, and May came out of their rooms and entered the living room, where they found the oldest and youngest members of the gang drinking hot chocolate. Brock grinned at them, "Merry Christmas guys!"

The hot chocolate was enough to wake Ash and May completely. "Merry Christmas!" Ash and May said simultaneously while picking up their cups of hot chocolate.

"Pika pika pikachu pi!" Pikachu also told his friends Merry Christmas and grabbed a cup of hot chocolate as well.

Brock smiled as his four friends enjoyed the warm beverages. "So, why don't we open our gifts," Brock turned to the presents under the Christmas tree.

"I'm on it!" Max to the stack of gifts and took all the presents that belonged to him. Ash, May, Brock, and Pikachu sat on the couch while Max eagerly opened his gifts. The boy's eyes brightened when he saw the Treecko Doll in his hands, "May, thank you so much. I needed the Treecko Doll for my collection!"

"It's no problem Max," May grinned at him happily while still in her yellow shirt and black shorts.

Max opened Brock's gift next and a wide smile formed across his face. "Brock, you got me a PokeGear! This is the best gadget out right now."

"It's not a big deal Max, I'm just happy you liked it," Brock beamed a smile at the boy while taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

Max then opened Ash's gift and began staring at the unique Pokeball in his hands. He saw the space and Jirachi design on it and became mesmerized. "Ash, is this a Pokeball?"

Ash smiled, "Yep, you can use it to catch a Pokémon when you're on your journey, just remember to use it wisely."

"I will, thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," Max thanked all of them, but they all squeezed Max in a hug.

When they finished, Brock opened his gifts next. The first one was from Ash and the young man smiled when he saw a new backpack, "Hey, this is perfect! Now I can carry all my cooking equipment without having to force it in and it's comfortable too, thanks Ash," Brock grinned at his friend.

"You said the other one was becoming too annoying, so I got you that brand new one," Ash smiled back at his friend.

Brock's next gift was a book that contained recipes to cook the best food for Pokémon and humans. "I know you enjoy cooking Brock, so I got you that cookbook so you can make a bunch of new delicious foods," Max smiled at his friend.

"Thanks Max, I promise to cook the best meals out of this cookbook," Brock beamed a grin at the little boy.

The final gift was from May and it was a set that came with cologne, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, a comb, and more. The brunette giggled at him, "You're always trying to impress the ladies Brock, so I got you that set to make you look as dashing as possible."

Brock laughed and smiled at the brunette, "Thank you May, I'm sure this will help me become a Superman with the ladies," the spiky-haired teen began fantasizing about dating multiple women thanks to May's gift.

They laughed together and then decided to give Pikachu his gifts. The mouse was caught by surprise when the group revealed that they bought gifts for the Electric-type. "We didn't forget about you buddy," Ash grinned at his best friend.

"Pika pi," Pikachu smiled at his friends, wishing he could've gotten his friends something,

Pikachu happily received a unique brand of food made by Brock, which was exclusively for the mouse. He also got a Light Ball from Max that he played with and May gave him a sweater for the cold weather, which fitted him adorably. Ash handed Pikachu a pack that came with three bottles of ketchup, "I got this yesterday, when I went out bud, hope you like it," the black-haired boy smiled.

"Pikachu!" thanked his friends for all the gifts that would come in handy. They all embraced the yellow mouse with tenderness and then turned to May, it was her turn now.

May's first gift was from Brock and when she opened it, she found the gift as something wonderful. It was a snow globe of a Glaceon roaming a snowy, wooded-area. "Brock, this is so beautiful, thank you for the gift," May played with her snow globe while thanking him.

Her next gift came from Max, when she opened it; she held a plaque with the title "Best Sister in the World" on it. "Awww, thank you so much Max, you're the best brother ever," the brunette hugged him tightly, almost suffocating him.

When Max was finally able to breathe, he smiled at May, "No problem sis, you really are the best sister a sibling could get, even if you do some dumb thing sometimes."

"Gee thanks a lot Max," May sassed him, but knew that her brother meant well.

All of a sudden, Max noticed something and walked over to the window, "Hey look, it's snowing again and it looks even better than last time! I'm gonna go get dressed."

Brock sighed and laughed, "I'll go make sure he puts his winter clothes on properly. You guys can continue opening your gifts," the former gym leader informed his friends, who nodded at him.

"Pikachu, wanna come?" Brock asked the mouse and the Electric-type nodded, running behind his longtime friend.

_Alone…_Ash thought inside his head when he realized that it was only May and him. He became nervous inside when May reached for his gift.

"Let's see what you got me Ash," May winked at him and opened her gift. When the brunette saw what Ash had gotten her, her eyes began glistening. "Ash, you got me a whole set of bandanas," the sapphire-eyed girl spoke and Ash began expecting the worst until she hugged him.

"Now that I have so many bandanas, I can start to vary. Thank you for the lovely gift," May thanked her friend and pecked him on the cheek.

Ash felt his heart beating faster when May pecked him on the cheek, but he managed to form a sentence, "You…You're welcome May." The auburn-eyed teen smiled at her, _looks like Brock was right,_ Ash wondered in his mind as he saw May trying on some bandanas while giggling.

"There's one thing I need to tell you though," Ash was about to tell her yesterday's incident.

"What's that Ash?" May questioned him.

"Yesterday, I left to go to the mall and get your gift. I tried to buy the sapphire dress you wanted, so I entered a match at the mall where the winner gains $500, the exact amount needed for the dress. I won and went to buy the dress, but then found out that the dress had already been bought, so I didn't know what to get. Then I found those bandanas and remembered how much you liked so I bought you that instead," Ash told May about the event that took place yesterday at the mall.

May's eyes began sparkling and a lone tear trickled onto the couch. Ash became confused, "May, why are you crying?"

The brunette hugged him again, but this time it was harder. "I'm crying because I never imagined anyone going through so much trouble for a dress, but Ash you went through all that trouble, knowing that you did all of those things just for the dress showed how much you cared and even though you didn't get it, I still love the bandanas you got me. What I love the most though, is that you put so much thought into my gift, you went through so much just find the right thing for me and that's more important the physical gift. Thank you…" May explained as she held onto Ash.

Ash smiled at the sapphire-eyed girl and hugged her back. "It was nothing May, it just shows how much I care about you, you're one of my best friends." May smiled at Ash and squeezed his hand in affection, the two separated, remembering that there were still a few things needed to be done.

May then reached for Ash's gifts and spoke, "Your turn," the brunette smiled.

"Right," Ash started opening his gifts. The first one was a statue of Sceptile, from Max. It was a neat-looking statue with a great design; it even had a Leaf Storm engulfing it.

"That's a cool gift," May admired the gift Max gave Ash.

"Yeah, I'll have to thank him later," Ash gazed at the statue a little longer and then placed it aside.

His next gift was from Brock, it was a new badge holder for any future badges that he might win. Ash smiled at Brock's gift, his old friend got him this because he knew well enough that Ash would eventually set out again and challenge a bunch of new gyms. "I'll have to thank Brock later, too," Ash smiled as he put his badge holder aside.

His last gift was from May, as he opened it he noticed a sheepish smile forming on the brunette's face and wondered what the gift was. The boy took out the gift from the box and saw that it was a frame with a photo of him and May. It was when they won the Terracotta Ribbon and took a photo together while holding the ribbon. Under the photo it said "Best Friends" in cursive and under that was something else in cursive, but in a smaller font that said, "What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."

"May, this is a great gift. I still haven't forgotten the day we won that ribbon and now I have the moment framed, thank you so much," Ash thanked May for the wonderful present.

May smiled at him sheepishly after he finished talking, "Really? I wasn't sure if you were going to like, but Brock recommended framing the photo so that it becomes a framed memory."

"Well, it's a nice gesture," Ash admired the photo and then looked at May, _Guess I wasn't the only having a hard time finding a gift for a friend_, Ash thought in his head and smiled at the irony.

"Well, we're done opening gifts, so I guess we should get ready to go outside," May suggested and began walking.

"May…" Ash called her.

"Yeah, Ash?" the brunette smiled at him when he called her.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you and no seems like a better time than any other," Ash told the girl.

"Well, what is it?" May gave him a puzzled look.

_Brock said I have to tell her at some point, I choose now, I just can't hide it anymore_, Ash told himself. "May, I am in love with you." Ash finally told May about his feelings.

May felt her whole body freeze when Ash came clean and the raven-haired teen continued talking, "I've been in love ever since we traveled together for the first time. I didn't plan it, but I gradually became in love with you because I saw how caring you were, you put others before yourself in ways that I could never understand. When you showed me that Max was more important than contests on that island filled with Donphan, I never imagined anyone else taking that kind risk, abandoning it all for a sibling. You also showed me how much you love Pokémon when you took care of Swablu and Manaphy, it was touching and I had never met someone with that kind of heart before, when our travels ended, I realized that I would never meet anyone else like you and it was because of that that I fell in love with you. The day Team Rocket took Pikachu at the mall I fell in love with you even more because there I saw how you were ready to put your friends before your safety."

The brunette touched her heart as Ash talked and felt tears traveling down her cheeks. Ash saw the girl crying and asked, "May?"

"I love you too Ash," May declared between sobs and dug her face in his chest all wrapping her arms around his back. "I've loved you for the same reasons; you were the only person I've ever met who placed others before himself. I've seen you do it so many times, like when you went out of your way to save Pikachu or any other Pokémon. You've saved me in the past and I know that I always put you in danger with my antics, I nearly fell into an abyss once and almost got run over by Donphan, but you were there both times to save me and you kept me on my feet the whole time. There really wasn't anyone like you out there, no one proved more compassionate than you."

Ash felt touched by May's words and made her look at him. The auburn-eyed teen never tried this before, but he was going to do it, "Don't say another word," the boy instructed and leaned in to kiss May.

Their lips met and Ash held on to May while caressing her cheeks, wiping away the tears on her cheek, her tears of joy. May ran her fingers through Ash's hair and let herself be taken away by the moment, it was like she had always imagined. It happened at last, she and Ash were more than friends. They were a pair of young lovers. Ash felt warm inside as he touched May's soft lips while she felt secure in his embrace, there was no one that could make her feel better or safer than the boy she was sharing her passion with right now.

When they finally stopped for air, they gazed at each other with caring eyes until they realized that Brock, Max, and Pikachu had seen the make out session. Ash and May blushed when they saw the trio, not knowing what to say.

Max was the first to speak, at first he sighed, "I should have seen this one coming, but I'm happy for you guys," but then the little boy smiled.

"It was about time," Brock crossed his arms and smiled cheerfully at the new couple.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped in happiness as well, it was about time his trainer told May.

"Thanks guys," Ash grinned at his friends and the blush on his face faded.

"We really appreciate your approval," May smiled at the trio and her blush also faded.

"Well, we can talk about the wedding and the names of the children after playing outside, so hurry up," Max teased the new couple and ran outside.

May and Ash blushed intensely when they heard Max's remark, but Brock told them to ignore the boy. The couple got dressed for the cold weather and went outside to find Brock, Pikachu, and Max playing. Pikachu used his new sweater and enjoyed the snow more than last time.

Ash and May held hands as they walked among the snow. "You know Ash, this was the best Christmas because I got everything I wanted, especially you," May told the boy and caught the boy by surprise with a quick peck on the lip.

The auburn-eyed boy blushed, but then smiled, "I thought this was the best Christmas too May, because I got you," the boy placed his arms around her waist and kissed her while the snow dropped on them. It certainly was the best Christmas ever, friends played in the snow and two close ones became a couple, it became a memorable holiday event…

**I have to admit that that was incredibly long for One-shot, which wasn't the plan, but whatever, it's finished. I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to review! This is my gift to the entire fanfic community and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! By the way, I don't know if I'll be able to post Chapter 6 of Advanced Wishes because I'm traveling on Thursday and won't be on for about two weeks, but I'll try to post that up before leaving. Catch ya guys soon!**


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